Pen 'writes' in 3D with plastic

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BOSTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- A start-up company based in Boston says it has created a pen, dubbed 3Doodler, that can "write" in three dimensions.

WobbleWorks says the pen, which works something like a glue gun, allows the user to wave it in mid-air to create a three-dimensional rendering, CNN reported Friday.

The 3Doodler plugs into an electrical outlet and oozes a thin strand of heated plastic, which quickly cools and solidifies, allowing the user to build an infinite variety of patterns and shapes.

WobbleWorks says it can create 3D designs on flat surfaces or in the air.

Spaghetti-like strands of ABS thermoplastic in a range of colors can be loaded into the back of the pen, and WobbleWorks says each one-foot strand of plastic can produce about 11 feet of moldable material.

WobbleWorks debuted the 3Doodler on the crowd-funding site Kickstarter with a modest fundraising goal of $30,000; within two days it had garnered more than $1.1 million in pledges from backers.

"We knew it was a great product. But we didn't expect the response to be this fast," WobbleWorks spokesman Daniel Cowen said. "The velocity of the response caught us by surprise. It's phenomenal."

Though currently just a prototype, the 3Doodler could begin shipping by September, WobbleWorks said.